136 THE ALBION MILLS. PART VII. 



pected ; although the outbreak of the Revolution, which 

 shortly after took place, put an end for a time to those 

 hopes of fraternity and peaceful trade in which it had 

 originated. The Government boldly interposed to check 

 smuggling, and Pitt sent a regiment of soldiers to burn 

 the smugglers' boats laid up on Deal beach by the severity 

 of the winter, so that the honest traders might have the 

 full benefit of the treaty with France which Pitt had 

 secured. Increased trade flowed into the Thames, and 

 ministers and monarch indulged in drawing glowing 

 pictures of prosperity. When Pennant visited London 

 in 1790, he found the river covered with shipping, pre- 

 senting a double forest of masts, with a narrow avenue 

 in mid-channel. The smaller vessels discharged directly 

 at the warehouses along the banks of the river, whilst 

 the India ships of large burden mostly lay down the 

 river as far as Blackwall, and discharged into lighters, 

 which floated up their cargoes to the city wharves. 

 London as yet possessed no public docks, only a few 

 private ones of very limited extent, although Pennant 

 speaks of Mr. Perry's dock and ship-yard at Black- 

 wall, on the eastern side of the Isle of Dogs, as " the 

 greatest private dock in all Europe ! " Another was St. 

 Saviour's, denominated by Pennant " the port of South- 

 wark," though it was only thirty feet wide, and used for 

 discharging barges of coal, corn, and other commodities. 

 There was also Execution Dock at Wapping, which wit- 

 nessed the occasional despatch of seagoing criminals, who 

 were hanged on a gallows at low-water mark, and left 

 there until the tide flowed over their dead bodies. 



Among the commercial enterprises to which the in- 

 creasing speculation of the times gave birth, was the 

 erection of the Albion Mills. For the more convenient 

 transit of corn and flour, as well as to secure a plentiful 

 supply of water for engine purposes, it was determined 

 to erect the new mills on the banks of the Thames, near 

 the south-east end of Blackfriars Bridge. Hand-mills, 



